The technical field of the present invention is that of mines of directed effect which can be used against armored vehicles and are capable of operating whatever the manner of laying them.
Various types of mines are already known having different manners for laying them, for instance by releasing them from airplanes, helicopters, land vehicles having a mine launcher or dispenser or from shells, rockets or missiles.
It is found that when the scattered or released mines reach the ground, their final position is frequently not that desired, this being due to the fact that the mines roll and bounce several times before coming to a stop. Two types of mines have been proposed in order to overcome this drawback, namely:
the monodirectional turnover mines and the bidirectional mines described in French Pat. No. 2 448 708.
The first type has only a single charge; in the event that upon the laying thereof the charge is not facing the target, a subsidiary device acts to assure the turning thereof. Actually this device imparts a new possibility to the mine of responsibility itself correctly, which does not imply that the desired result is necessarily obtained. The second type of mine makes it possible considerably to increase the probability of having a properly laid mine. For this purpose, the mine comprises a bidirectional shaped charge with an igniter which selects the direction of advance of the detonation towards the target to be destroyed.
In both cases there is a definite probability of the mine being laid on edge.
One object of the present invention is to remedy this problem by providing a mine which has a very high probability of being positioned under good conditions whatever its manner of dispersion and whatever the terrain to be mined.
As a matter of fact, in the event that the laying is effected on hard terrain, in particular in the case of launching by airplanes, helicopters, shells, rockets or missiles, the mines must not be damaged as a result of their contact with the ground. For this purpose, the mines previously proposed were equipped with brake devices such as parachutes or stabilizers in order to reduce the impacts which might damage the electronic circuits or the charge itself and which therefore substantially decreased the reliability of these mines.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple inexpensive solution to this problem while making it possible to eliminate the braking devices and of offering mines which are more compact, less complicated and more easily placed in the bodies of shells, rockets or missiles in the dispensing devices of airplanes, helicopters or trucks.